


Told You So

by StardewTales



Series: Rarepair Festival [2]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, POV Alternating, Rarepair, Smoking, Smut, Snowed In, Unrequited Love, idea for the fic came from the song told you so by elle king hence the title, if you're unsure about this pairing allow me to shine upon you the light of rarepairs, the smut is literally 4k words long im not kidding when i say explicit okay, you've heard of porn without plot now brace yourself for porn with plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-10-26 17:38:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17750453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StardewTales/pseuds/StardewTales
Summary: Haley loves Alex, she always has. She couldn't care less about Sebastian; he's infuriating.Sebastian can't stand Haley. He's never had any interest in learning to know her; she's irritating.They hardly ever interact, until that one fall when they keep crossing paths, for better or for worse. When Alex keeps getting closer to the new farmer in town and Haley's heart breaks, will Sebastian finish the job and crush it to pieces or will he be the one person who could put the pieces back together?





	1. I Get No Joy

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not even kidding I wrote the overwhelming majority of this in a frenzied 24 hour period because the inspiration hit me like a ton of bricks. Initially I just wanted to write a smutty one-shot and somehow this turned into a 34 pages-long ficlet which I still have plenty of inspiration for, so hopefully you'll enjoy reading this as much as I loved writing it! Also, chapter titles are all song names in case you wonder how they fit in with the actual chapters.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @stardewtales for any requests you might have or to see what I'm up to.

It was Saturday night, so Haley was cooking dinner. That’s what the deal was; Emily worked to put food on the table, and Haley cooked said food. Of course, their parents helped them, making sure they always had enough to pay the bills, but Emily’s income often ended up being spent on things for the two of them.

Golden light flooded the kitchen through its windows as Haley mindlessly bobbed her head to the music she’d blasted. She’d never have a full blown solo dance party while cooking, but she’d often take a bouncier step or sway her hips to the music. Cooking dinner had become a ritual for her, a welcome reprieve from boredom.

This particular Saturday was unusually warm for a fall day. She’d bundled up in a sweater as she’d lounged around the house reading a magazine earlier, but she was getting hot. Taking a break from chopping fruit for the fruit salad she was preparing for dessert, she hopped over to open a window facing the river in the dining room. When the wind was blowing, opening this window allowed for the smell of the flowers in the planter in front of their house to drift in and fill the kitchen.

In just a few minute, the pleasant smell reached the kitchen counter where she was working. Smiling to herself, she dipped a finger in the syrup she was making for the salad and sucked the juice off of it. 

Needs more honey, she decided.

The new farmer in town had gifted Emily and her a jar of fairy rose honey the other day when she’d dropped off wool for Emily. It was the sweetest Haley had ever tasted, and so she generously poured more of it into the bowl she’d been mixing.

She was humming along to the music, whisking away, when the smell hit. Gone was the flowery scent; suddenly her kitchen smelled wretchedly of cigarette smoke.

“What the fuck?” she asked audibly to no one, stopping what she was doing.

She walked briskly to the window, closing it hurriedly before the smell spread some more. Emily would wail if she came home and their home smelled of toxic smoke. She’d probably sage the place right away, and Haley hated the smell of burnt sage perhaps even more than that of cigarette smoke.

Through the window, she looked for the source of the smell, but she already knew who it would be. Indeed, standing by the river, Sebastian was smoking with Sam by his side. Who was he to smoke directly in front of their house? 

Incredibly pissed off, Haley slipped on a pair of her sister’s sneakers lying in the entrance and barged outside her own front door.

“Hey asshat, could you not use our street as your personal smoking parlor?” she called out as she headed towards him. 

He turned around, taking a long drag of his cigarette as he considered her, unfazed.

“Hey Haley,” Sam waved at her with a cool smile.

“This isn’t about you,” she shut him down, planting herself in front of Sebastian.

“O-kay,” he quipped, raising his hands in defeat before showing them in his pockets.

“Haley, lovely as ever I see,” Sebastian commented. “To what do we owe the pleasure?” he asked, deadpan.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Your stupid cigarette smoked up my entire house, that’s what,” she replied. “Just because you don’t mind letting it kill you slowly doesn’t mean everyone around wants to end up with black lungs,” she added, levelling her gaze with his. 

He was a good head taller than her. She didn’t like having to crane her head to stare him down.

“But they’d match the color of your heart so perfectly,” he replied, sarcasm dripping from his every word.

“Fuck you, wannabe edgelord,” she spat, and before he could see it coming, she stole his cigarette and threw it in the river.

She didn’t feel the need to stick around to hear him air his grievances. Turning her back, she started walking back to her house but did look back to wave at Sam. “Bye Sam, sorry I snapped at you,” she told him as she reached her own door.

“Excuse me but what the fuck?” Sebastian shouted, visibly pissed off. “You’re a fucking psychopath, Haley,” he added for good measure.

The only response she offered him was a smug smile and a raised middle finger. Before she closed the door, she did hear one last thing;

“Don’t look at me like that, man,” Sam laughed, “You brought this on yourself.”


	2. I Ain't The Girl

Haley practically never ran into Sebastian around town. She knew from Alex who knew from Penny who’d been told by Maru that he spent most of his time in his room. That’s why she thought he’d been a mirage when he’d walked up to the fountain when she’d been there only a few days later.

She made a point of ignoring him, scrolling through the memory card of her camera. 

“Hey, have you seen Demetrius around?” he called out to her, approaching.

“Why would I know where your dad is?” she replied, her tone more bored than annoyed.

“Stepdad,” he corrected her immediately. “Doesn’t he usually hang around here?”

“Not this time of the year, he doesn’t” she replied, slightly amused at the thought that he’d walked all the way over there from his house for nothing.

“Fuck me,” he sighed, plopping down on a bench close to hers. “Well, my mom’s gonna have to figure out her troubles or get Maru to help, I’m not turning the town upside down looking for him,” he stated, slouching in his seat.

“I don’t care,” Haley replied flatly, having switched her attention back to her camera.

He stayed sat in silence on his bench for a few moments. And then he grew bored.

“What are you looking at?” he asked her, but his tone didn’t indicate genuine interest.

“None of your business,” she replied, just as flat.

He gave a quick laugh.

“You really don’t care if people like you or not, do you?” he remarked, amusement lifting up the right corner of his mouth.

“I don’t care if you like me or not,” it was her turn to correct him.   
He laughed again, that single “Ha!” that annoyed her profoundly. It made her feel like she was being laughed at in a belittling way.

“Right, I almost forgot you’re more into the dumb jock type,” he quipped.

He was obviously trying to get a reaction out of her, and he was succeeding. She finally raised her head to look at him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she nearly sneered, knowing perfectly well what he’d meant.

“Please, don’t act like you haven’t been hanging around Alex’s ice cream stand all summer long,” he answered. “To be honest, I’m having trouble believing you never ran out of discussion topics.”

She wanted to punch his dumb smug grin off his face.

“Leave Alex out of this,” she snapped. “He’s a really good guy,” she added, her voice softening despite her best efforts.

He whistled. “Whew, you’ve really got it bad for him, uh?” he teased. “You’ve got to be aware he’s been circling that new farmer girl like a vulture though, right?” he provoked her.

“You’re a fucking asshole, Sebastian,” she replied, her eyes tightly shut.

“He’s gonna make a move on her if you don’t make a move on him first,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“Alex and I go way back,” she found herself justifying herself. There was no point denying it by now. “If it’s meant to happen it’ll happen,” she said.

He stared at her for a second. “That’s not how life works, though,” he said. “There’s no such thing as faith, you either make a move or life makes a move on you,” he stated as though it was pure evidence. “You either take a risk, or life just happens to you.”

She wasn’t taking kindly to how he seemed to implied he had it all figured out and she was just clueless.

“Says the guy who still lives in his parents’ basement,” she replied, hoping it would make him feel as shitty as he’d made her feel with his own words.

“You still live in your parents’ house too,” he got defensive. It sounded like an accusation.

“Yeah, but my parents aren’t in it,” she negged him. “And you’re older than me.”

He didn’t reply. By then, they were both feeling defensive and both their feelings had been hurt by the other’s snide remarks. They stared each other down.

“Fuck this,” he finally muttered, getting up. “Hopefully Mullner’ll realize he’s better off with farm girl than with you,” he told her. “At least she’s a decent person and actually does something with her life.”

Rage filled Haley, and she felt tears prickling behind her eyes. She was determined to hold them back. He’d crossed a line, and he was going to be sorry. Experience had taught her that taking the high road was the most effective way to make someone feel bad about themselves.

“I feel sorry for you. I might be a bitch sometimes,” she seethed, “but even I wouldn’t stoop low enough to reach you. Have fun relishing in your own misery. And fucking leave me alone,” she spat, furious.

With that she walked away, practically fuming. She was blazing through the town square when her name was called out.

“Hey, Haley!” Alex shouted, waving at her from beside his house.

He really was the only person she’d consider stopping for. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she turned his way.

“Hey Alex,” she replied through gritted teeth when close enough to him that she wouldn’t have to shout.

He frowned, observing her.

“You’re in a mood, uh?” he simply asked.

“Sebastian’s a fucking bitch,” she replied.

He nodded, not needing more explanation than she was willing to give. “Want me to beat him up for you?” he joked.

“Don’t tempt me,” she exhaled, chuckling.

He laughed earnestly at her reply, shaking his head. With a warm look for her, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. All notion of Sebastian instantly left her head. She hugged him back, not as tight as she wished she could’ve. Levelling her breaths, she rested her head on his chest and he gave her hair a gentle stroke. She wanted to get drunk on the smell of him.

“Sebastian’s an ass, don’t mind him,” he spoke quietly.

“I don’t want to talk about him,” she sighed. “I need a distraction, do you want to head to the beach?” she asked him, pulling away to look up at him.

“Oh man, I wish I could, Hails,” he started, his cheeks reddening as he scratched the back of his neck. “But I promised I’d go help chop down some trees on the farm, sorry,” he apologized.

Her heart sank. Sebastian’s words came nagging right back at her. Hopefully Mullner’ll realize he’s better off with farm girl than with you, he’d said. She hated him for it.

“Oh,” Haley said, biting her cheek. “I’ll stop holding you up then,” she added, looking down at the ground.

“Hey,” he called her eyes back to him, “You ever need to talk, you know where to find me ok?”

She simply nodded, a twinge annoyed. “I think I’ll head back home, I don’t feel so good,” she excused herself. “Have fun killing those trees,” she bid him goodbye with a forced wink so he wouldn’t see how disappointed she was.

“Take care, Haley,” he replied with a smile.


	3. Trouble

Haley didn’t see Sebastian again until Spirit’s Eve. She avoided him like the plague, sending him glares when their gaze crossed when he came up to Pierre’s booth to buy whatever he’d needed. She’d decided long ago mazes only frustrated her, and so over the last two-three years she’d developed a habit of staying near Pierre all evening long, being just flirtatious enough that he’d give her something for free by the end of the evening.

This year, she’d elected to wear a skirt decidedly too short for the cold weather, and had foregone a bra entirely under her sweater. She knew it was wrong to tempt the married man despite having no intention of ever going near him like that, but he was far too easy a prey. She’d caught him gawking at her chest, where her nipples peaked through the fabric of her sweatshirt, several times already throughout the evening. She could practically hear the fantasy playing in his head, but she didn’t care. She was really eyeing the extra box of tea candles he kept for Jack-O-Lanterns. 

She didn’t drop the flashlight he’d asked her to hold so he could find something under his stand intentionally. She did however make a point of picking it up in a way that would make her skirt ride nearly indecently high on the back of her thighs, and took her time doing it. Suddenly breaking a sweat despite the chill breeze, Pierre excused himself, saying he had to go get something inside the store.

Seconds later, she saw Sebastian walking in her general direction, eyes going wide when he crossed paths with Pierre. Looking around him for some reason, he spotted her and started heading up her way.

Shit, she thought. There was no point hiding from him, she’d look ridiculous.

“Listen, I know you hate me and everything, but you’re gonna want to hear this,” he blurted as soon as he made it to the now empty stand. “And I just cannot keep this to myself.”

“Fuck off, Sebastian,” was all she replied, crossing her arms against her chest.

“I just saw Pierre run into his store sporting a massive boner,” he spilled, his voice incredulous.

She couldn’t help but feel herself flush at his crude observation. He definitely noticed, having expected a snarky laugh. He looked her up and down, as if he was seeing her for the first time. She shifted under his gaze, suddenly self-conscious.

Picking out her outfit, she’d felt the fishnet tights and short skirt were offset enough by the sweater, boots, and thick socks spilling out of them. Now she felt like she’d walked into the town square with the word promiscuous painted across her forehead.

She did notice his eyes grow wide for a split second when he finally noticed the two small bumps in the fabric covering her chest.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” she scowled, rolling her eyes.

Before he could reply anything, Alex and the farmer strode down the stone stairs behind them, Alex laughing earnestly as she smiled at him, holding a huge golden pumpkin. They breezed right past, not noticing either her or Sebastian. She winced.

Sebastian was looking at her differently now. She could see the pity in his eyes.

“Don’t fucking look at me like that,” she muttered at him. 

“Okay,” he simply replied, and something in his eyes did change. 

A thick silence filled the space between them.

“Sorry about what I said the other day,” he finally said. “I was being a real dick, don’t know what got over me.”

She squinted at him, trying to see if anything in his face looked disingenuous. 

“Yeah, you were,” she started. “I wasn’t much nicer, though,” she admitted.

He looked at her, as if expecting her to say more. “That’s a shitty apology,” he replied, understanding she wasn’t going to say more.

“That’s because it’s not an apology,” she answered, defiant.

After a beat, he laughed. It wasn’t the laugh he’d used at the fountain. This was more of a dry chuckle.

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” he asked, amused for some reason.

“Mama always says good things are worth working for,” she said, unable to keep the corner of her mouth down.

He chuckled again.

“How about a truce, then?” he offered.

She pondered his proposition.

“I can deal with a truce,” she decided.

He smiled, satisfied.

“I’m going to check out the skeletons, if you want to come with,” he told her.

She looked at the empty booth hesitantly. She’d invested her whole evening so far into those tea candles.

“Oh come on,” he rolled his eyes. “Let Pierre take a breather, you’ll make his dick explode.”

She felt the heat radiate from her cheeks as she turned crimson. He bit back a smirk.

“Come on, let’s get spooked,” he said so casually, as though he hadn’t said what he’d just said.

Embarrassed out of her words, she just followed him at a distance. After a few minutes by the skeleton cage, she felt she’d returned to her normal color. 

“This is boring, they just walk around,” she complained.

“You’re just impossible to please, try enjoying yourself a little,” he tutted.

She scowled. “I’m sorry that my version of a good time doesn’t involve fake skeletons aimlessly trudgi-” she started, but as she spoke one of the skeletons snapped his head in her direction so suddenly, so intensely that she squealed and instinctively grabbed Sebastian’s arm with both her hands. She let go as soon as the initial shock started fading.

He was fully smirking at her by then. “This is sooo boring, they just walk arouuund,” he mimicked in her tone.

“Shut up,” she rolled her eyes, but an amused smile was tugging at her lips.

“Mmmh, interesting offer, but I think I’d rather keep mocking you,” he replied, faking a contemplative look.

“You’re so annoying,” she chuckled quietly.


	4. Mercy

Winter came early and suddenly. One morning, Haley woke up to find that every single one of their house’s windows were thoroughly coated with frost.

Emily was already up, smiling giddily at the windows.

“It’s winter,” she smiled at her when she joined her in the kitchen, both still in their pajamas. They were usually the type to dress up as soon as they got up, but today was the first day of winter.

Haley nodded, not fully woken up yet. Nevertheless, she started preparing the hot chocolate without needing to be prompted.

“I love this time of the year,” Emily said. She’d be grinning the entire day.

“I know,” Haley smiled. 

“I’ll start making the fire,” Emily told her, heading out to the living room.

Haley simply nodded. The first morning of winter had always unfolded the same way, as far as she could remember. It was tradition. The only thing that had changed was that Haley had taken over her mother’s role of hot chocolate maker, and Emily had taken up their father’s fire-building duties.

A few minutes later, Haley joined Emily in the living room, holding two hot mugs. Emily had made a tent out of wood in the fireplace, newspaper in its middle. Haley brought her her mug, and they toasted silently to the new season. Their mother believed fiercely in greeting the new season, and that belief had shaped most of their family traditions.

Next, Emily grabbed the matchbox and took out one for each of them. 

“Pick a wish,” she said, and closed her eyes to make her own.

For the past few years, when Haley had closed her eyes, she’d only been able to see Alex’s face. This year, she saw him again, but this time he was sharing the limelight with a disembodied voice speaking these words: “You either take a risk or life just happens to you”. 

Having decided what her wish would be, Haley opened her eyes. Her sister was already looking at her, and she could tell she’d been trying to read her thoughts. It was a thing Emily did. She had no mind reading abilities whatsoever, but it had never deterred her from trying.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Ready,” Haley nodded, striking her match against the matchbox to light it, promptly giving the box back to her sister who did the same. They used match from a special box for these occasion, and their matches were over twice the size of a regular match to give them a bit of leeway with time.

“Make a wish,” Haley said.

I wish someone would take a risk for me, she thought as she threw her match into the fire at the same time as Emily. 

They both stared at the fire as it caught, the flames licking hesitantly at the wood before latching on to consume it entirely.


	5. Somebody Better

On the ninth day of winter, Haley bundled up to face the biting cold. She had an appointment for her yearly physical at the clinic. It was so cold these days, she mostly kept to herself inside the house. She hadn’t gone outside for the past two days, much to the dismay of her sister. 

But there she was now. Outside. She almost went right back in. The winds were blowing fiercely, not just nipping but fully biting at every inch of skin that remained exposed. The sky was fully obstructed from view by thick clouds that moved fast above her head. The previous day, the weather channel had announced a snowstorm would blow over the valley, starting in the evening. Haley didn’t doubt they’d been right.

Finally walking into the clinic was a relief. To her surprise, the farmer was in there, talking with Maru at the front desk. Haley greeted them both with a polite smile before retreating to take her coat off, and their conversation went on. It’s not that she was listening, but it was difficult not to hear.

“I’m so happy for you,” Maru was telling the farmer. 

“I still can’t quite wrap my head around it,” the farmer replied, a grin plastered on her face.

“How convenient, too, for the winter,” Maru laughed. “If nothing else, that’ll keep you warm.”

The farmer shook her head in disbelief. “Of everyone in town, I can’t believe you’re the one who’d say that.”

“What’s the big news?” Haley asked, walking over to them and inserting herself into the conversation.

The farmer seemed to be weighing what she was going to say. Maru didn’t let her.

“Alex got her a bouquet and asked her out in front of the whole Saloon last Saturday,” Maru revealed excitedly. “I wasn’t there, but apparently it was like a big romantic gesture out of the movies.” She turned to the farmer. “My mom took a video of the whole thing on her phone, if you want it. 

Haley felt like she was going to be sick. Like someone had dropped a ton of bricks on her.

“I’m surprised you didn’t know, I thought Alex would’ve told you by now,” Maru added.

Haley forced a smile. “I haven’t seen Alex in a while,” it pained her to explain. “I’m really happy for the two of you,” she added, her smile straining. “He seems to really like you.”

“Thanks, that means a lot,” the farmer sighed with relief. “I was worried you had a thing for Alex and you wouldn’t take well to hearing about us.”

Haley’s heart twitched in her ribcage. “No need to worry about me, Alex and I have always been meant to be friends,” she said. “Just friends.”

Before the conversation could drag on any longer, Harvey walked into the waiting room.

“Ah, good, you’re here!” he exclaimed when he saw her.

She couldn’t help making her ‘what’s that supposed to mean’ face at him.

“I was worried the temperature might deter you,” he explained. “We can get started whenever you’re ready.”

Understanding he wasn’t implying anything about her punctuality, Haley softened. If there was one person in town she could count on to not make her feel bad about herself, it had to be the him. He probably couldn’t have dissed someone if he tried to.

“I’ll follow you,” she replied.

And she did follow him into the back, barely holding it together, careful not to turn around so she wouldn’t have to give a well-meaning goodbye wave. In the examination room, she sat on the cushioned platform like always as he readied everything.

“Alright, let’s start with the heart, uh?” he said, plugging his stethoscope into his ears. He put the end against her back, listening intently. 

Worry painted itself over his face. He pulled it back.

“That’s an unusually high heart rate, Haley,” he frowned. “Everything alright?”

That’s when the dam broke. Her will not enough to fight it anymore, she broke down into sobs on the examination table.


	6. Please

That same night, Sebastian left Sam’s house after they were forced to end their rehearsal when Jodi had announced the fun was over because Vincent needed to get some sleep.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered when he stepped outside. It was snowing so much he could barely see the path ahead. The wind was brutal, too, only worsening the biting cold. It wasn’t completely dark out yet, but the snowstorm was obscuring what little light was left. 

Luckily, he’d thought to bring along a flashlight for the way back to the mountains. Hopefully he wouldn’t get frostbite all over getting back home. He didn’t feel particularly inclined to get his toes chopped off by Harvey in the morning.

The flashlight lit up when he pressed the power button, before flickering and turning right back off. You’ve got to be kidding me, he thought. He tried turning it on again and again, with no luck. He glanced around him, considering his options.

He could knock back on Sam’s door, but Jodi had been categorical that if either of them woke Vince up she would ban their band practice from her house. He turned to consider the house right next doors. Haley and Emily’s. Surely Emily wouldn’t mind lending him a battery or two, he reasoned. As for Haley… well, she’d probably just be Haley. They hadn’t spoken since establishing their truce, so he had no reason to believe she’d send him packing right away if she answered the door.

Resolved, he went to stand in front of their door. He raised his hand to knock, but hesitated. Why was he suddenly nervous? Shaking off his nerves, he gave three firm knocks. He heard muffled voices and some shuffling inside. Seconds later, the door swung open; thankfully, it was Emily who’d answered.

“Sebastian!,” she gasped, clearly surprised. “What are you doing out here in this weather?” she asked, turning worried. “Come in, you’ll turn into a snowman out there,” she prompted him in.

He didn’t need to be asked twice. He stepped inside, grateful for the warmth of the roaring fire in the fireplace, and Emily shut the door behind him. He noticed she was in her pajamas, a set of fleece pants and shirt. He suddenly felt like he was intruding.

“Sorry for bothering you,” he started, eyes darting around before they landed on Haley. She was splayed on a couch by the fireplace, reading a magazine and dressed in seemingly nothing but a short mint plush robe. She was staring at him, squinting slightly, her face unreadable.

“What’s he doing here?” she asked her sister, not bothering to ask him directly.  
“I don’t know Haley,” she rolled her eyes slightly, “How about we let him tell us?”

She shrugged and went back to reading her magazine, visibly uninterested. Charming as ever, he thought. He turned to face Emily.

“My flashlight died,” he started, fidgeting with it to prove what he was saying. “I kinda need it to get back home, do you guys have any spare batteries you wouldn’t mind lending me?”

Emily laughed. “Sweets, you’re not getting back home in this weather,” she shook her head. “You’ll disappear under a pile of snow and we’ll have to send a search party looking for you.”

“I’m kinda going to need to spend the night someplace, Emily,” he told her, puzzled. “I don’t really have much of a choice.”

“You’re right, you don’t” she agreed. “I’m not letting you back out there, you can crash on our couch.”

Haley looked up. “What?” she said at the same time as him.

“That’s really nice of you to offer, Emily,” he thanked her, “but I’m gonna have to take a raincheck on the sleepover,” he scoffed.

“Yeah, we’re not a homeless shelter, Em,” Haley put in her two cents.

Emily rolled her eyes at the two of them. “You two are gonna have to suck it up, my mind’s made up,” she said. “I’m not waking up with your death on my conscience, Sebastian.”

Haley just sighed and went back to her magazine.

“I feel like you can’t just decide for me,” Sebastian protested. “Haley, back me up?”

She didn’t bother to look up. “Give it up,” she advised. “Her mind’s made up, and she always ends up getting what she wants.”

Emily grinned at him mischievously. “Here, let me take your coat,” she offered. “We had an early dinner, but we have some leftovers. Have you eaten already?”

He shook his head no, taking off his coat and kicking off his boots in a state of disbelief. He was in for a long night, he could guess. He followed Emily to the kitchen, deciding to take heed on Haley’s advice and save any energy he’d waste protesting.

Emily took a plastic container out of the fridge and popped it in the microwave. “Cheese cauliflower okay with you?” she asked, waiting for his reply before hitting the start button.

“Sure,” he nodded. His mom made it often, seeing as it was Maru’s favourite.

They waited in silence as the plate spinned with the platter of the microwave. Emily was looking at him like she had something to say. He raised an eyebrow to prompt her. She didn’t need more.

“Haley’s in a weird mood tonight,” she told him in a hushed voice. “She learned about Alex and the farmer being a thing now this morning,” she explained, and he could see the empathy in her eyes. “She says she’s fine and she doesn’t care, but I’m pretty sure it’s affecting her more than she lets on.”

Sebastian nodded, a faint feeling of guilt overcoming him. He knew he’d told Haley some pretty unsavory stuff about Alex, and it was only worse in retrospect.

“Just…,” Emily started, pausing to choose her words, “don’t take it personally if she’s rude.”

“Shouldn’t be too different from usual then,” he replied with a smirk.

Emily didn’t seem to find the joke funny. She’s her sister, of course she wouldn’t think that’s funny, he chastised himself.

“She can be really sweet if you get to know her, you know,” Emily whispered. “She’s just very selective about who she lets in.”

Sebastian didn’t know what to respond. He was pretty sure it was the first time anyone had ever described Haley as sweet to him. ‘Really hot’, Sam would say. ‘Condescending’, was the word Abigail more often chose. ‘Hard to read’, his mother had even said once. Definitely nothing that came close to ‘sweet’.

They stood in silence until the microwave beeped in announcement that it was done. Emily took the container and set it on a placemat at the dining table. She got a glass of water and utensils for him as well after telling him to sit down.

“D’you want me to keep you company or…?” she asked.

“I’m good,” he waved it off. “Thanks for all this, by the way.”

“Don’t mention it,” she smiled and went back to the living room. He heard that she’d turned on the TV.

The cheese cauliflower was so good it nearly got a moan out of him. He had to admit it was even better than his mother’s, whom he’d always considered a decent cook. Realizing he was starving, he gulped down the whole thing embarrassingly fast. After he was done, he made sure to clean his dishes and put them in the dishwasher; it really was the least he could do.

Feeling really out of place in this house he’d never been in, he awkwardly headed back to the living room.

“Already done?” Emily asked, looking up from what she was holding. It seemed she was embroidering a shirt she’d stuck in an embroidery hoop as she watched TV.

“Yeah, couldn’t help myself,” he answered. “That cheese cauli was delicious,” he added, hoping to make up for what he’d said in the kitchen with the compliment.

“Tell that to Haley, she’s the house cook,” Emily smirked.

He was stunned to hear so.

“Wow, don’t act too surprised,” Haley groaned. 

“Sorry, hadn’t pegged you for a homemaker,” he apologized as he considered his sitting options. 

There were two couches, one sister on each. He would’ve opted for the one with Emily, but her sewing supplied were scattered across wherever she wasn’t sitting. Haley was still splayed across most of her couch, but there was enough space for him to sit down at the other end.

“Do you mind?” he asked her, gesturing to the empty spot.

“Suit yourself,” she answered, loudly turning a glossy page of her magazine. Sitting down, he was surprised to see it was about photography and not fashion or celebrity gossip.

“You’re really into photography, uh?” he asked her to fill the silence during the commercial break.

“Just because you’re sleeping on my couch doesn’t mean you have to act like my friend,” she replied coolly.

Emily shot him an apologetic look. “She really is,” she answered in her stead. “She even turned her walk-in into a dark room, actually,” she added.

Haley shot her sister a glare.

“What, it’s not like it’s a secret!” Emily defended herself. 

“Why don’t you go ahead and give him a tour of my room while you’re at it,” Haley responded, evidently pissed.

Emily sighed in exasperation but didn’t bother replying. Sebastian squirmed in his seat, pretending to find the Joja Cola commercial infinitely more interesting than it really was. He still wasn’t sure why he wasn’t currently on his way back home. Right after the commercial ended, a show seemed to start.

“Finally!” Emily clapped, having apparently forgotten all about her spat with Haley moments ago.

“What’s this?” Sebastian asked, frowning.

“A reality TV dating show,” Haley muttered, closing her magazine to turn her attention to the screen.

Oh boy, Sebastian thought, what kind of sleepover bullshit have I gotten myself into?


	7. Hypnotic

The evening flew by surprisingly fast. Sebastian was shocked to find out he was having a genuinely good time watching reality TV with those sisters he barely knew. Their sibling dynamic couldn’t have been more different from his and Maru’s. He’d taken the time to call home during a commercial break to say he was sleeping at Sam’s, and having been the one to answer, she’d just said she would tell his mom before hanging up. He’d given a tiny white lie, deciding he didn’t want to explain what he was doing sleeping at Emily and Haley’s because he barely even knew why himself. 

After the show was over, Emily had yawned and announced she was ready for a good night’s sleep. She cleaned up her sewing supplies strewn across the sofa and came back with a heap of blankets and pillows. She looked more like she intended to build a pillow fort than to make a bed on a couch. The end result did look much more appealing than what he’d had in mind for crashing on a couch, however. The times he’d actually slept on Sam’s couch, on rare occasions when Jodi took Vincent to the city to visit relatives, Sam hadn’t even bothered to give him a blanket or a pillow; he’d made do with a throw and the couch cushions.

“Alright, don’t hesitate if you need anything,” Emily told him, having patted the last pillow into place. “And feel free to stay however long you need to in the morning, you’re welcome to have breakfast with us if you want.”

“Thanks,” he told her, truly grateful. “But I think I’ll want to head home for a shower when I wake up,” he joked.

“Oh!” Emily gasped, hitting her forehead with her hand. “I should’ve offered, but really you can use our shower if you want to clean up before sleeping,” she told him. “Sorry, I’m a morning showerer myself,” she gave him an apologetic smile.

“Freak,” Haley giggled. “I don’t know how you can go to bed without having washed yourself,” she teased her sister.

Sebastian wasn’t used to hearing Haley laugh like that. He’d heard her laugh meprisantly at him, had heard her chuckle begrudgingly and softly, had even heard an earnest laugh earlier during the show, but it was the first time he heard her giggle. It was girlish and cute, a laugh you’d expect from looking at her but not from knowing her. Then again, he couldn’t say he knew her very well.

“I think I’ll take you up on that shower, actually,” Sebastian told Emily. He would’ve normally waited to get home, but he felt gross all over after his day of band rehearsal.

Emily showed him the way to the bathroom and pulled out a towel for him. He followed her back to the living room to wish her goodnight and reassure her he’d let her know if he needed anything, which he had no intention of actually doing.

“Alright, goodnight then!” Emily smiled at him. “Goodnight, Hails,” she blew her sister a kiss.

“Goodnight Em,” Haley half-groaned as she stretched her arms above her head on the sofa, pushing her chest out and her eyes half-shut. It made the v of her robe momentarily deepen, and he had to make himself look away before she caught him staring. 

As Emily walked away to her room, sporting an odd smile, Haley got up from her couch and stretched one last time. 

“I’m calling it too,” she told him, exhaling. “Add a log or two in the fireplace after your shower if you want to keep the fire going,” she added, walking away.

“Goodnight,” he told her, watching her walk to her room.

“Goodnight, Sebastian,” she told him, looking back at him as she opened the door to her bedroom. “If you steal anything I’ll have Lewis hang you in the town square,” she added, but her eyes had a glint of playfulness he hadn’t seen before either.

“Wouldn’t expect any less from you,” he chuckled. “Goodnight, Haley.”

“You already said that,” she smirked and closed her door behind her.

Fuck, he thought. As he walked to the bathroom for his shower, he couldn’t shake the image of her from his mind. Her stretching on the couch, exposing a flash of cleavage and a hint of lace from the top underneath. 

He closed the bathroom door behind himself. Her legs right by him as they watched TV, long and looking so smooth he’d wanted to find an excuse to brush his hand against them. 

He turned on the shower, took off his shirt. He hadn’t thought that shade of mint green could look good on anyone. 

He took off his socks. The reel rewinded further, back to Spirit’s Eve. Her short skirt and fishnet tights, bordering on inappropriate for an event with children running around. 

He unbuttoned his pants. Her nipples, hard under that flimsy sweater.

“Fuck,” he cursed audibly this time as he tossed his pants. He was half hard, straining against his boxer briefs. All of a sudden, he was no better than nearly every guy in town, popping a boner at the thought of her. Except he was standing in her house, about to use her shower.

It wasn’t his fault, he reasoned. Haley had known what she was doing with that outfit at the festival, he’d been sure of it when he’d seen Pierre hand her that cardboard box at the end of the night, unable to look her in the eyes. He was merely a casualty of her plan.

Feeling slightly better about himself, he pulled off his underwear and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt amazing after the much colder bathroom floor. He considered the many, many bottles in the shower. He counted at least four sets of mismatched shampoos and conditioners, with an healthy amount of face cleansers and body wash. Curious, he grabbed a bottle at random and popped its cap open, just wanting to smell.

What a mistake that was. The scent that filled the shower was unmistakably Haley’s. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he knew for sure. It was enough to do him in; he was fully hard by then. He wanted to roll his eyes at himself; he wasn’t meant to be so predictable, like the rest of them. Whispering curses, he closed the bottle and put it back with one hand as the other reached down and grabbed his erection. He didn’t feel great about it, but he’d rather jerk himself off in their shower than stumble upon either of the sisters on his way back to the living room still sporting an easily noticeable boner.

He made a point of keeping his mind blank as he pumped up and down his own length, mostly hoping to get it over with before he was in the shower for a suspicious amount of time. While somewhat honourable, the strategy wasn’t working, so he went for the next best thing. He played a reel of porn he’d watched recently in his mind and picked up his pace. He could feel it working, and he zeroed in on that. Picturing a particular scene in which a woman was bouncing up and down on her partner, he knew he was getting close, and he started pressing his hand slightly more around himself to get there faster, the friction feeling better with every pump until he started thrusting his hips erratically into his own hand, other arm pressed along the shower wall to hold him up. 

He remembered the video fairly well, let it play behind his eyes on autopilot. At some point, the man stopped lying there complacently and thrusted roughly up into her, sending her tumbling onto his chest with a gasp as she grabbed his arm for balance. The memory triggered itself without warning, washing away the images of the video like a tidal wave. Haley’s squeal by the skeleton cage, the feeling of her nails digging into his bicep as she’d latched onto him. 

He came right then and there, cum shooting onto the wall facing him and dripping down to the drain as he stood there panting, dick in his hand and eyes shut tight. Shit, he thought. He was going to have to pack up pretty early in the morning; he wasn’t sure he’d be able to look Haley in the eyes and make conversation over waffles in the morning after this.


	8. Blank You Out

Haley had been tossing and turning for hours when she’d finally had enough. She usually got really hot when she slept, which was why she had a tendency to sleep naked save for panties, but that night her sheets were freezing against her bare skin and were preventing her from falling asleep. She needed to warm up. Sitting up in her bed, annoyed, she considered her options. She could put on pajamas, but she hated the feeling of fabric riding up her legs in bed nearly as much as she hated a cold bed. 

There was a faint orange glow coming into her room from under the door. She shivered at the thought of the fire in the living room; evidently Sebastian had fed it more wood it before going to sleep. Sebastian. He was the only reason she hadn’t walked back into the living room much earlier. She resented him for making her feel like an intruder in her own home. Finally deciding she cared more about her own sleep than his, she slipped out of bed silently and put tied her robe back around her waist. She shuddered at the warmth it brought her.

Careful not to make a sound, she tiptoed to her door and opened it slowly. She couldn’t see Sebastian from the way he was lying on the couch. She hoped he was sound asleep, didn’t want to have to justify herself. She made her way to the fireplace and plopped herself down in front of it, closing her eyes in bliss from the warmth of the embers. The flames weren’t very strong still, but with embers like these, it didn’t matter. 

She let her mind get lost in the dancing flames and the ridges of the charred logs. It made her sad. She didn’t want to cry; she’d done an embarrassing amount of that at the clinic. At least Harvey had been nice about it, had given her tissues and space to calm down before continuing the exam.

Without realizing, she let her eyes drift up to the mantle of the fireplace, where they landed on a specific frame. Looking at the picture, it made her feel empty inside. She was overcome with an urge to make the frame just as empty. She managed to get up, grab it and sit back down without Sebastian so much as shifting in his sleep. 

She stared at the picture blankly. It dated from last year’s Feast of the Winter Star. Alex had gotten her a gift; a whole coconut , in the middle of winter. It had made her laugh, and had made her insides flip. It was an inside joke of theirs, how much she loved coconuts and how he’d taken up to calling her Coconut. Thinking back, she couldn’t pinpoint when or why he’d stopped, but she had a nagging feeling it had to do with the farmer arriving in town. On the picture, Alex had his arm circled around her as she showed off the gift to the camera. 

How often she’d looked at that picture, convincing herself he was looking at her like you looked at someone you had feelings for in it. She’d been so naive. Flipping the frame over, she started undoing the latches holding the picture in. That’s when it slipped her hands, landing on the floor with a soft thud. Not enough to wake up Emily, but enough to startle Sebastian out of slumber.

He blinked as he looked around, shocked to see her sitting there. “What time is it?” he asked, rubbing his eyes, voice still sleepy.

“You don’t want to know,” she answered with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up,” she added.

He looked out the window and saw it was still very much dark and very much snowing outside, the wind whistling against the window. “What the hell are you doing in here then?” he asked, more perplexed than accusing.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she said softly. She didn’t have enough energy to keep up her usual smugness right then. “My bed is freezing fucking cold,” she muttered.

He was still looking at her like she was a rubik’s cube he couldn’t figure out. “What have you got there?” he pointed at the frame in her hands.

“Nothing,” she replied, hiding it away from his line of sight. If there was one thing she didn’t like talking about with Sebastian of all people, it was Alex.

He pulled his covers off from him, getting out of his makeshift bed to come sit next to her in front of the fire. She couldn’t help a blush when she saw he was only wearing a white undershirt and boxer briefs, and made a point not to look. Having made himself comfortable, he reached over and grabbed the frame from her hands. She didn’t feel like putting up a fight.

“Ah,” he said when he finally saw what, or rather who, was on the picture. “I see you’ve heard about Alex,” he noted.

“Don’t,” she shook her head slightly, shutting her eyes tight. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“I was there when he did it, at the Saloon,” he said, still looking at the picture. “It was a bit overdone, if you ask me. Not that she seemed to mind.”

Haley glared at him. “Leave me alone, Sebastian” she told him. “Go back to sleep.”

“Sorry,” he said, tracing the frame with a finger. “Obviously wasn’t the right thing to say.”

“What don’t you understand about I don’t want to talk about it?” she asked him harshly. “He’s got a new girl, yeah, I know,” she huffed. “I don’t wanna think about it,” she added, her tone softer this time.

He didn’t add anything. She noticed he hadn’t looked at her directly yet. Why was he avoiding her eyes?

“I bet they stayed up all night long,” she whispered. “Together, or on the phone, but they did.”

“Why?” he frowned.

“Alex can’t sleep during snowstorms. They give him nightmares,” she explained, and had to bite her lip to keep it from trembling. “I was the one he used to keep up,” she breathed. “He used to lo-,” she started to add, but caught herself, “like me like that.”

“Shit,” he muttered. “Sorry.”

Looking at him, she could tell he wanted to say more.

“Don’t even think about saying it,” she warned him, anger tossing the sadness in her tone away. “If you say it I’ll break this frame and use the glass to cut your tongue off.”

Of course she wouldn’t, but she really sounded like she would. 

“What?” he gulped. “What are you talking about?” he asked, finally turning to look at her.

“The ‘I told you so,” she told him, not believing he didn’t know what she meant. “The last thing I want to hear right now is ‘I told you so’.”

He blinked, processing. Remembering their argument by the fountain.

“Ah, fuck,” he said when he understood. “I didn’t even mean that, you’d just really managed to get a rise out of me,” he added. “I’m not used to that, I usually don’t care. The only other person who’s ever made me mad this quickly is my stepdad, so, uh, congrats.”

She wasn’t sure how to react. “I don’t know what to say to that,” she honestly responded.

“Fair enough,” he agreed. “Still, that was a really fucked up thing to say. Sorry,” he apologized.

“You’re not good at apologizing,” she replied, but she wasn’t mad; it actually amused her, how bad he was at it. 

He chuckled, before his eyes went back to the frame. “What’d you wanna do with this, then?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “Not put it back up there, anyways.”

“You could burn it,” he immediately replied.

She stared at the the picture. It was a dumb idea, but it wasn’t the dumbest thing he’d said to her. Maybe it would even work.

“Fuck it,” she gave in, taking the frame back from him to unlatch the picture out of it.

“That’s the spirit,” he smirked, watching her go.

She considered the picture a bit more once she’d freed it. It really did not make her feel a single good thing as she held it. Without warning, she crumpled it into her fist before tossing it at the fire. 

Sebastian mimed a clap, nodding approvingly. “How’d that feel?” he asked.

“Good,” she smiled. “Better.”

“Glad to hear it,” he huffed, amused. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes after that, enjoying the fire. Every now and then, she could feel him stealing a glance at her. At some point, she realized it was because her robe had slid down her shoulder, fully exposing her collarbone, but thankfully nothing more. She saw him look away quickly when she noticed, and wondered why. 

It was just a shoulder, after all, he’d been much less scrupulous with his staring on Spirit’s Eve. She thought she saw him gulp nervously, like a kid found with a hand in the candy jar. What was he on? It’s not like I’m nake-, she pondered, before she understood. Clearly, he’d realized she wasn’t wearing anything under the robe. She found herself turning a healthy shade of pink. 

They stayed sat by the fire in silence some more, both very much avoiding the other’s gaze. Haley didn’t see how she could go back to sleep anytime soon; she was far too awake. Beside her, Sebastian didn’t look all that sleepy either. He seemed lost in the fire, like she’d been earlier. Perhaps they had more in common than she’d guessed.

“I’m not tired anymore,” she spoke softly, disturbing the loudness of the silence they’d been basking in. “I have some stuff to check up on in the dark room, if you wanna come with,” she offered.

“You sure?” he asked. Apparently, he remembered her earlier reaction when Emily had mentioned it.

“Don’t make me change my mind,” she teased him, rolling her eyes.


	9. Cold Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is the one you've been waiting for my dudes

Haley didn’t turn on the lights when they walked into her bedroom. There was a streetlight not far that illuminated the room just enough that they could see where they were stepping, but it was still much darker than the living room had been. Her eyes were used to a certain level of darkness; his, not so much. He stood hesitantly in the doorway.

“Come on,” she said in a hushed voice, grabbing his hand to lead the way.

She hadn’t expected him to lace his fingers through hers right away, without any hesitation. She was thankful for the darkness; it hid her flushed cheeks from him. Letting go of his hand, she unlocked the door to her dark room with a hidden key on her dresser, and let him step in first, promptly shutting the door behind them. The closet-sized room was even more quiet than the living room had been, she noticed.

“Uhm, Haley, I can’t see anything,” he whispered.

“Hold on,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper herself.

She ran her hand over the wall next to the door, searching for the switch. She flicked it upon searching, and the red lights flickered open, filling the room with a dark red glow.

“Woah,” he said, blinking repetitively. “That’s so cool.”

“It’s not much,” she said, heading for the cord on which she hung the pictures to dry.

“Are you kidding?” he said, eyes darting everywhere all at once. “It’s probably the coolest room in the whole valley,” he whispered.

Hearing him say that sent the smallest shiver down her spine. It had been so long since someone in town besides Alex and her sister had seen her as more than a superficial bitch. He started asking her questions about everything’s purpose, and she was more than happy to answer him until they’d gone over everything.

“What’s this?” he asked, pointing at the black cylinder next to her filing cabinet.

“That’s the trash, Sebastian,” she answered, her tone only slightly mocking.

“Right,” he nodded, reddening from embarrassment. “I can’t believe you haven’t shown this to more people,” he commented, examining the pictures that were currently drying.

“In case you haven’t caught on yet,” she scoffed, “I’m not the best at making friends. Or at keeping them, apparently,” she added, looking at a picture she’d taken of Alex and the farmer at the town fair at her request. On it, he looked at her like he looked at Haley on the picture she’d just burned.

“Oh wow, fuck that,” Sebastian said, seeing the picture. Unceremoniously, he unpinned it from the cord and set it face down on the counter.

“Careful!” she urged, wincing at how he was handling the photograph. 

“Surely you can’t be serious,” he replied, incredulous at the fact she’d want to preserve the photo.

She hesitated. 

“You know you have to burn that one too, right?” he insisted, searching her eyes.

“It’s just…” she sighed. “I’d rather get to a place where looking at it doesn’t hurt than have to destroy it, you know?”

He was about to say something, but paused, considering what she’d said.

“I thought you’d want to make him come back to you,” he replied, careful not to sound insulting or belittling. “Win him back or something. Curse her with a voodoo doll in the process.”

“That’s not who I am,” she pouted, hurt flashing in her eyes and crossing her arms on her chest defensively.

“I can see that, now,” he said, slowly, deliberately, but not looking at her, avoiding her gaze.

He’d said that in a way that made her awfully conscious of how confined they were in the tiny room, close in a way that meant all she had to do was stretch her fingers out to graze the fabric of his t-shirt. They were next to one another, both looking at the pictures hanging in front of them. Whether or not he’d noticed, she couldn’t have said.

And then it happened. Without warning, the red lights shut down and they were engulfed in absolute darkness. 

“Don’t move,” she immediately ordered him. 

She knew her way around the room even in absolute darkness, but he did not, and she didn’t want to even imagine the damage he’d do if he bumped against something trying to find his way around.

She heard him gasp in surprise as she brushed against him to get around him, back to the light switch. When her fingers found it, she flicked it on and off without result.

“I think the blizzard caused a power outage,” she told him, her voice instinctively quieter now that her eyes couldn’t see her own hands.

“Oh,” was all he replied. She could hear him breathing.

“Follow my instructions, I don’t want you knocking anything to the ground okay?” she asked, waiting for a reply.

Nothing came for a beat. “You can’t see it but I’m nodding,” he finally said.

He couldn’t see, but that made her smile. “Carefully feel around you so that you have a hand on each counter around you. Make sure you’re facing the way my voice is coming for,” she instructed. 

She heard some shuffling, thankfully no thuds. “Got it,” he finally announced.

“Okay, walk in a straight line with your arms outstretched in front of you until you feel the wall,” she now instructed.

She heard him take small, careful steps. “What now?” he asked.

“Stay there, I’ll get you,” she whispered taking two steps forward. “Here, take my hand,” she said, reaching towards where she hoped he was.

Again, he wasn’t content with holding onto her hand; he proceeded to slowly, unbearably slowly, intertwine his fingers with hers. She knew he’d heard her breath hitch.

“Follow me out,” she told him, wanting to guide them out of this total darkness.

Instead, he resisted, not budging.

“What are you doing?” she asked, truly puzzled, tugging on his hand.

He didn’t reply. Instead, he brushed the pad of his thumb against the back of her hand as he pulled her to him in a way that had her back to the wall. Her eyes were growing used to the dark, and she could see the general shape of him now in front of her. Her heart was about to beat out of her chest.

“Sebastian?” she asked, her voice the smallest it had been through the entire evening, barely more than a breath.

“I’m taking a risk,” he finally answered, his voice hoarser than usual.

He let go of her hand, his now free hand joining the other to grab her waist, gently pulling her body to his as he leaned down, his forehead meeting hers, his nose brushing her cheek for a split second. She was breathing heavy, the anticipation turning into agony. He was giving her the time to shut him down, she realized. She didn’t, instead slowly bringing up her hands to his shoulders, from where she slid them up to the back of his neck. She felt his whole body shudder under her touch.   
Finally, he leaned down further, pushing his lips onto hers with a restrained sense of urgency. She keened into the kiss, giving herself up to him, kissing him back like she hadn’t suspected she’d want to kiss him back. Eagerly, she bit his lower lip, prompting his mouth open so she could slide her tongue in to brush against the roof of his mouth; her signature move.

Sebastian groaned in appreciation, entangling his tongue with hers. She felt his hand grip onto her hip tighter through the plush of the robe, before lifting itself off. Instead, he dragged his hand down her chest, down the opening of her robe until he was low enough to slide his arm in and circle her waist. She moaned into his mouth in response, and she found herself getting pushed flush against the wall. He broke the kiss, allowing them to breathe as he redirected his mouth to her jaw, from where he trailed kisses down her neck. Slow, lurid kisses that had her raising her chin to give him better access. 

His hand that had been on her cheek so far crept into her hair, grabbing a fistful and pulling it gently down to correct the angle. She whimpered in appreciation, before sliding her hand down his chest to the hem of his shirt. She wanted it off, and started pulling it up, dragging her nails on his sides as she did so. He suddenly pulled away from her completely, and she heard his shirt fall to the ground seconds later.

He cupped her jaw with both his hands this time as he brought his lips back to hers, more forcefully so than before. Sliding down her neck, his hands pushed her robe off her shoulders, and she arched her back into him to give the robe leeway between her and the wall. It worked, and next thing she knew she felt his bare chest against her breasts. The feeling made her shiver, and she did again when he placed both his hands firmly on her waist. He gripped tighter and released slightly, before taking a step back and make him sure to pull her with him. She knew what he wanted, and she broke the kiss to jump as he lifted her up so she could bring her legs around his waist.

Holding her up entirely now, he pushed her back against the wall to bear less weight. The brick wall was rough against her spine, and she brought her mouth to his ears rather than his lips this time.

“Take me to bed,” she whispered into his ear, grinding her hips slightly into his abdomen for good measure. 

He didn’t need to be told twice. She’d expected him to drop her down so they could walk out of the dark room, but he had other plans. He somehow managed to carry her just as they were up to the door, open it and carry her into her bedroom. In the meantime, she’d busied herself by preparing a fully fledged hickey right under his ear, where his jaw and neck met.

Her eyes had been closed, but she could tell they were out of the darkroom right away. The lamplight was no longer lighting her room because of the power outage, but at least now she could see around herself. He dropped her onto the bed on her back, following closely by hovering above her on top of the covers. He gave her a short but hungry kiss before pulling back, propping himself up on his knees between her thighs to take a good look at her after all the darkness. She lifted her knees on either side of him, feet still on the mattress.

His eyes roamed her body like they were his hands. She took the opportunity to take in the view as well. He looked so hot looming over her like that, his eyes lidded with lust and his broad chest heaving rapidly. She grabbed his wrist, holding it down between her breasts as she felt for his pulse. It was fast, even faster than hers. 

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” he swore, his tone spiteful. 

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” she giggled.

His cock twitched under his boxers, calling her attention to his straining erection. She blushed when she saw it, unexpectedly bashful when faced with the proof of his arousal.

“It’s unfair, is what it is,” he smirked.

With that, he ran a finger from the edge of her thong up to her chest, where he traced a circle around her breast before brushing at her nipple with his thumb, prompting her to shut her eyes in appreciation. She hadn’t expected him to pinch it right after, opening her eyes with a gasp at the sensation. 

“Don’t fall asleep yet,” he teased. “I’m not quite done with you yet,” he added, making her shudder at the promise.

“Then don’t let me,” she teased back, and what she’d meant to come off as a playful reply ended up sounding like a lewd threat.

He responded immediately, bringing his hands down to the waistband of her underwear. He watched her intently as he started pulling it down her thighs, stopping right after he’d uncovered her navel entirely. She reckoned he was in a bit of a logistical problem, what with being sat between her legs which were still propped up on either side of him.

He didn’t seem to think it a problem. Leaving her thong be, he reached for her right leg and unfolded it straight before pulling it up to prop her hips up off the the mattress, using the motion to bring her leg on the other side of him as he brought his knee forward to rest her ass on. He then effortlessly finished rolling the flimsy piece of clothing, which happened to be floral-patterned, off of her, only to toss it to the ground halfway across the room.

“You’re lucky I’m flexible,” she told him, attempting to play it cool to hide how incredibly flustered the whole motion had made her. She had enough experience herself, but he clearly knew what he was doing.

As if only as a result of her taunt, he undid the whole thing, bringing that same leg back to its own side of him, knee bent still, but leaving her ass propped up on his knee, allowing him an unrestricted view of her cunt. She squirmed, growing restless in anticipation.

“Relax,” he coaxed her, running his hands up her thighs until they were far up enough to grab her ass cheeks and spread them apart so they’d rest easier on his knee.

Haley gasped at the feeling, chest rising high. He started rubbing his palms up and down her thighs to soothe her.

“What do you like?” he asked her, his hands brushing dangerously close to her crotch to illustrate his point.

She took a deep breath. “It’s no fun if you don’t at least try to figure it out,” she taunted with a pout.

“Fair enough,” he acquiesced. 

He snaked a hand around her thigh to hold her in place as the other ran up the inside of her other thigh. He started by brushing all around her outer labia, sending shivers of pleasure running down her spine. Smirking at how responsive she already was, he brushed his thumb up her folds, collecting some of the wetness near her entrance and spreading it up to her clit. 

She let out a string of moans as he repeated the motion enough time to leave her cunt coated in her own juices all over. She thought he could probably feel her pulse from how he had her throbbing already. She’d closed her eyes in delight in the process, and just as before he prompted them open by pinching her other nipple.

“I want you to look at me,” he told her, eyes boring into hers as he began rubbing at her clit with his index and middle finger.

Her moan was louder still, but she obliged and fought her instincts to close her eyes. He was studying her face intently as he tried different motions on her pussy. She could tell he’d appreciated her whimper-turned-cry when he’d garnered her clit between his phalanxes and had pressed them together, rubbing them against each other with her most sensitive point between the two.

He proceeded to go prodding at her asshole without actually trying anything, just testing out how she reacted. The feeling had surprised her enough that she didn’t see it coming when he plunged a finger into her vagina for good this time.

“Holy shit, Sebastian,” she arched her back, becoming aware she wouldn’t last much longer. 

He withdrew his finger completely, before diving back in with two this time. 

“Stop teasing,” she urged him, whining. She squeezed her walls around his fingers to show him she meant business.

He took the hint, beginning to pump his fingers in and out of her at a steady, faster rhythm, watching her breath get shallower. She whined again when he took them out completely once more, only to gasp when he went back in with a third finger. He was holding them into a narrowing point rather than one beside the other, using the new shape to twist his fingers in and out as he pumped. 

Still, he wasn’t looking down at what he was doing and was holding her gaze captive. It was overwhelming, the intensity of being so scrutinized as he turned her into more and more of a quivering, shaky mess. Without warning, he increased the pace of his fingers to a much faster rhythm, making her hips buck wildly. He had to bring his other hand down to hold her down, and she had to ball up the sheets into her fists to stay somewhat grounded. Her orgasm rippled through her body like the snap of a rubber band, and he kept on fucking his fingers into her throughout, only slowing down when her cries died down and her hips stopped jerking wildly around his hand.

With a sopping sound, he pulled his fingers out of her and withdrew his knee from under her, gently dropping her hips back onto the mattress. On her end, she was working on steadying her breath, finally allowed to shut her eyes for a moment. He stroked her thigh gently as she came down from her high. When she’d collected herself enough, she sat up and moved to straddle him as she planted a grateful kiss on his mouth. She tugged at his hair lightly, grinding her wet cunt onto his boxers in a way that had him groaning instantly. She kept going a bit more, until the sensitivity of her pussy from his previous rubbing caught up with her and she lifted herself off from him.

“I think it’s about time these came off,” she told him, tugging at the elastic band of his underwear.

Nodding, he got up, but rather than take off his last remaining piece of clothing, he got off the bed and headed for the door.

“Wait here,” he told her, barely looking like the Sebastian she thought she knew.

He slid out into the living room stealthily, and she used the reprieve to grab her matchbox and light some of the tea candles she’d swindled from Pierre. She was tired of fucking in the dark. 

He wasn’t gone long, back with a metallic square in hand. She was waiting for him sat on the bed, legs folded under her and hair falling wildly around her shoulders. He paused in his stride, noticing the candles.

“Nice touch,” he said, walking to the edge of the bed and bending down to kiss her. 

He’d meant it to be a peck, but she’d brought her hands up around his neck and made it more than that, rising into the kiss. When she had him distracted enough, she nicked the condom from his hand and broke the kiss, dangling it in his face with a mischievous grin.

“Strip,” she ordered. 

He did.

The sight of him completely naked made her grow hot and bothered again. He wasn’t remarkably girthy, but he did have an admirable length to him, and she bit her lip looking at it, before raising her eyes back to meet his.

“You’re gonna have to stop making those eyes at me,” he cautioned her, getting an eyeful himself.

“Or what?” she asked, rising up on her shins to get closer to his eye level as he stepped forward.

“Or I’ll never be able to be around you without getting hard again,” he answered crudely, bending down to kiss her and lay her down on the bed in the process.

She didn’t let him get his way, however, and rolled him onto his back to straddle his thighs, his erect cock right in front of her.

“Allow me,” she said, dangling the wrapped condom before setting it down on the sheets for a moment.

Making a show of it, she sucked on the tip of her index finger before dragging it down his whole chest, right up to the base of his cock where she wrapped her hand around him and brought her hand up his length. Reaching the tip, she swiped her thumb all over his head, giving special care to the slit.

“Fuck,” he said, already breathless, eyes closing instinctively to relish in the feeling. 

She wouldn’t have it; two could play this game. She brought her hand back down around him, squeezing tighter until he opened his eyes again.

“No closing your eyes, nuh uh,” she tutted. 

Maintaining eye contact, she let go of him only to bring her hand down on herself, swiping her palm up and down her cunt to collect any residual wetness. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head, and she smirked as she brought her hand back on his shaft. She spread her slickness on him intently, pumping him to the point where he reflexively bucked his hips into her hand. Satisfied, she released her grip to move her hair out of the way as she started leaning her face down towards his crotch.

“Wait,” he said, his voice straining.

She stopped, shooting him a questioning look.

“I’m sure that would feel amazing,” he started, leaning his head back into the pillow, “But if you go down on me I won’t last,” he explained.

“Suit yourself,” she shrugged, sitting back up in her straddling position.

“And,” he breathed hard, “I really fucking need to get inside of you right now.”

His words had her trembling. Nodding, unable to speak a word and cheeks flushed, she grabbed the condom wrapper and carefully tore it up. Pulling it out, she grabbed the condom by the tip and placed it on top of his cock, using both her hands to roll it down. When she was done, she looked back at him. He’d propped himself onto his elbows.

“How do you want me?” she asked him, slowly lowering herself to grind down on his length while he picked an answer. 

He motioned for her to turn around, an authority she wouldn’t have thought him capable of exuding from him. She complied, repositioning herself so that her back was facing him.

“More of a reverse cowgirl kind of guy, uh?” she grinned wickedly, shifting her weight to get comfortable.

“Not quite,” he answered smugly, and before she knew it he’d pushed her to fall forward, leaving her on her hands and knees. 

Her breath was short as she heard him shift around behind her. Without warning, his hands gripped her hips tightly as he used his knee to adjust the space between her legs. He was surprisingly dominant, and she found she didn’t mind it one bit. What she did mind, however, was that she could feel him towering over her but not doing much about it. 

“I thought you said you needed to get inside me,” she teased, her voice confident but her body squirming under his grip.

“So impatient,” he tutted, and made a point of making her wait a few seconds more before finally breaching her entrance with his tip.

He sheathed himself into her slowly, letting her adjust to him. He was on the larger end of the spectrum, and he filled her so fully she felt herself stretching out to accommodate him. The sensation came with one of slight burning, and she clutched the sheets tighter the deeper he got in.

“Fuck that feels right,” he groaned as he hilted himself against her backside. “You good?” he asked, one hand leaving her hip to brush her hair over her shoulder.

“Don’t you stop now,” she breathed, clamping her walls onto his cock to get him to move again.

His hand went back to her hip, and he held onto her just as tightly as he started pulling in and out of her. The whole setup lit a fire inside of her as she watched his shadow fuck hers on the wall, projected there by the warm light of the candles. His grunts whirled into the air around her, dancing with her moans and whimpers.

He was progressively picking up his pace, and she was matching it with the motion of her hips. A harder thrust made her elbows bend on impact, changing the angle just enough for her to feel him brush against her most sensitive spot. Gasping, she let her elbows drop and rested herself on her forearms as his relentless thrusting had her bouncing against him. 

“Oh fuck right there,” she cursed quietly as he was now repeatedly hitting her g-spot. 

She was finding it increasingly hard to stay quiet enough so that her sister wouldn’t wake up.

“Seb, I’m close,” she announced, her voice trembling from how he was now pounding into her. She could’ve sworn her words threw off his rhythm for a second there.

“Oh, you’re not finishing yet princess,” he replied, not leaving any place for a choice in his tone.

Immediately but without stopping, he slid one arm under her stomach and brought her back up, making her back upright against him as he held her close, one arm firmly circling her lower abdomen and the other hand grabbing her breast, roughly squeezing and tweaking.

The new position didn’t let him thrust up into her as deep, but it was all kinds of overwhelming regardless. He was holding her so close to him, she could feel his heart thrum against her back as he rhythmically pushed himself in and out of her without leaving her any control. His mouth was hovering just above her collarbone, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine.

“I want to make you come so hard my arms are the only thing holding you up,” he panted into her ear. 

The mere suggestion made her whimper, almost too much when added to the pleasure that was building up inside of her. He moved his arms around her, the one fondling her breast letting go to hold her chest to him as the other one loosened its grip to snake further down. She felt his middle finger dip into her folds to rub at her clit and let out a cry. The volume of it prompted him to raise his other hand up to cover her hand in an effort to stifle the elicit sounds he was now steadily coaxing out of her, both fucking her senseless and teasing her clit without reservations. In a matter of minutes she was a writhing mess in his arms, instinctively squirming as it all became too much. 

“Se-eb,” she muttered against his hand, arching her back outwards from his hold on her.

“Let go, Haley,” he ordered, his own voice shaky and out of breath.

Like he’d predicted, her orgasm washed over her so powerfully from the overstimulation she felt like she would’ve collapsed onto the bed had he not been holding her up. He kept fucking her through it, now erratic until he came himself not long after her, holding her tighter as he did and she put her arms over his, attempting to touch him somehow. 

He slid out of her quickly, and she let herself tumble onto the mattress as he freed her from his grip, basking in her own bliss. She was vaguely aware of him discarding the condom before falling onto his back beside her. They just laid there for a moment, catching their breaths. 

As her heartbeat slowed down, Haley regained awareness of the chill in the air, worse now than before since the power was out. She sat up lazily, untangling the covers that had wound up pushed to the end of the bed. Beside her, Sebastian took it upon himself to sit up by the side and push his legs off the mattress.

“What are you doing?” she asked, puzzled.

“Going back to the couch,” he replied in a hushed voice.

Hurt flashed in her eyes before she could contain it.

“Oh,” was all she was able to muster, deflated.

She felt stupid for not seeing it coming. He was a guy, had gotten what he’d wanted and was apparently more than keen to leave her behind as he got back to his own things. It had been mostly physical for her as well, but there was something particularly humiliating about being discarded so quickly. Instinctively, she drew the sheets across her chest to cover herself.

“Unless..?” he began, trailing off as he searched her face for any indication of what she was thinking. 

Stay, her eyes pleaded. She started blowing out the candles.

“I just thought you’d rather not have me sleep in your bed,” he whispered, his tone uncertain. 

She wondered how to ask him to share her bed without sounding like she was reading too much into what had just happened. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting.

“My room gets so cold,” she muttered, unable to look at him.

“Hey,” he said softly, tilting her chin with his hand so she’d look at him, “I’d much rather stay here with you than go back to the living room,” he told her, eyes full of intent. Everything about his face was so different than what she’d spent years seeing, but she couldn’t pinpoint why. “All you have to do is say it,” he added, letting his hand drop.

She bit her lip. Wasn’t it evident enough already? Why was he asking her to say it out loud?  
He shook his head, closing his eyes. He was getting up when she reached out to grab his hand.

“Don’t leave,” she whispered, looking up at him with all the vulnerability she could muster. 

She laced her fingers through his as he looked slightly shocked. She pulled him towards the bed, and he got back in, and she was at peace again. She leaned towards him to kiss him softly. She broke it seconds later to pull the covers over them and lie down. Without a word, he wrapped his arm around her, his gesture hesitant, to pull her back to his chest. She couldn’t hold a sigh as she nestled into his warmth. They drifted to sleep in a haze of shallow breaths and unspoken questions. Outside, it was so dark you couldn’t even see the snow falling through the window.


	10. Treacherous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back with an update! My main focus has been my harvey/oc fic lately, but I missed these two's dynamic, so here's a quick morning after chapter. I have a pretty good idea of what the next chapter would be, so hopefully it'll be out sooner this time! Thanks for reading xx

The light of morning filtered through the window as Sebastian shifted awake. He was confused as his eyes blinked open and he found himself in an unfamiliar room, but mostly, it was the blonde head of hair his chin was buried in that puzzled him. Like a tidal wave, the recollection of what he’d been up to, and  _ with whom _ , before falling asleep hit him.

Haley was still asleep against him, her steady breathing pushing his own chest in and out. A sense of panic crept into him. What had it meant, sleeping with her? How was he supposed to act now that he’d been inside of her, and she’d seen the side of him that kissed her in the dark and laced his fingers through hers?

He wanted to move, but was frozen into place from the awareness of how naked they still were. His arm was wrapped around her waist, and he was certain if he attempted to move it, his hand would brush against her breast, and she’d wake up thinking he was trying to cop a feel. And yet, the intimacy of their position was overwhelming. He was very aware that he was quite hard, though he couldn’t have said how much of it was because of morning wood and how much was from her ass pressed onto his lower abdomen.

He squirmed, uneasy and unable to appreciate the peace of the silent bedroom or the weight of the covers on top of them. Thankfully, it stirred her awake. For a split second, he wished he would’ve been facing her so he could’ve seen her eyes flutter open. He changed his mind when he considered the weight her gaze would have had on him.

“Hey,” he whispered tentatively. He still wasn’t sure whether he should move his arm.

It took her a few seconds to answer. “Hey,” she replied quietly. She hadn’t moved yet either.

“So, uhm…,” he started, speaking to her neck.

“Last night was…,” she continued, just as hesitant as him.

The awkwardness was palpable. He couldn’t help but wonder which Haley was lying beside him right then; the cold, shut-off one, or the one who’d pulled him back to bed and kissed him ever so softly because he’d stayed. The more he thought about it, it was the before and after of it all that complicated everything, that blurred the line between one-night stand and something more; the pounding hearts and the vulnerability.

“Do you regret it?” he blurted, unable to help himself. No matter her response, at least he would have a clue about what to do next.

Her breathing halted at the question. Seconds of unbearable silence passed. “I don’t think so,” she finally replied, barely above a whisper.

He realized he’d also been holding his breath when he nearly sighed with relief.

“Do you?” she asked him.

“No,” he said, allowing himself a spike of confidence.

He dared use his free arm to push her hair out of her neck and shoulder, brushing her skin lightly with his fingertips. She shuddered.  

“I should probably get out of here before your sister wakes up,” he said

At his words, she took it upon herself to finally roll over to face him. Her eyes were still lidded with the daze of sleep as she studied him. There was a distance between them now, but his arm was still splayed over the curve of her hips.

“You suck at pillow talk, you know,” she finally told him.

“Sorry, we can’t all be the dreamy sensitive jock type,” he joked, but regretted it instantly.

She frowned, hurt flashing in her eyes.

“You’re an asshole in the morning,” she admonished him, but there was nothing playful in her tone.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that,” he tried apologizing. He was painfully aware he’d just messed up what could’ve been a perfectly good morning.

“Emily will probably be up soon, you’re right, you should go,” she replied, sitting up farther from him and drawing the covers to her chest.

He knew better than to overstay his welcome in a girl’s bed. Still, after getting up and putting his discarded underwear back on, he turned to look at her, still sitting there. She was checking her phone, avoiding his eyes.

“Haley…,” he started, and before he could decide what it was he wanted to say, she interrupted him.

“Listen, we don’t need to make a big deal out of this,” she told him, not bothering to look up from her phone. “We both needed to blow off some steam, but just because we fucked doesn’t mean everything has changed.”

He was dumbfounded by how quick she’d been to shut him out, for the slightest slip. That she wouldn’t have the decency to look at him while she kicked him to the curb was nearly infuriating. He felt like he might have hallucinated the look in her eyes mere hours earlier.

“Alright then,” he replied, flat and bitter. “Back to old ways it is,” he noted, and grabbed his t-shirt from the floor before leaving her bedroom.

He made his way to the living room where he put the rest of his clothes back on. Haley wasn’t going to follow him out, it seemed. He undid the makeshift bed he’d barely used as best he could, and started putting his boots on.

He had to get back home and change before meeting with Sam and Abigail later. They’d wanted to throw a party for his birthday, but he’d managed to negotiate enough so that it became an afternoon of Solarion chronicles between the three of them. They’d planned to meet up at Sam’s, and while he wasn’t particularly excited by the prospect of making the trip back and forth between town and the mountain, he didn’t want to risk questions about his wearing the same clothes as the day prior.

As he grabbed his coat, he heard a door opening in the kitchen. Moments later, Emily was hazily walking into the living room.

“Happy birthday!” she grinned at him immediately, before frowning when she saw what he was up to. “Leaving so soon?”

It was his turn to frown. “How do you know it’s my birthday?” he asked her, legitimately puzzled.

“I know everyone’s birthday,” she replied as if it were just evident, sitting down on the arm of the sofa. “You sure you don’t want breakfast before you go?”

“Positive,” he nodded, putting on his coat. “I’ve got places to be.”

She didn’t look entirely convinced, but offered him a wide smile regardless. “All right then, be safe out there! I think the storm was bad enough to cause a power outage in the middle of the night, so the roads are probably in bad shape as well,” she advised.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied. “Thanks for everything, by the way,” he added, feeling bad for darting so soon after all that hospitality.

“No problem,” she waved it off. “Enjoy your day!”

“Bye, Emily,” he forced a smile, before opening the door and stepping out, the cold air of winter wrapping him up in its cold embrace right away.


End file.
